Say Architects has designed Reef Salon in Zhejiang, China.

The idea of Reef Salon was born out of the three owners' vision of a barbershop space. They wanted to emphasise the social attributes of a barbershop and let the space itself promote the correlation and penetration of different functions between the interior and exterior.

From an architectural theory point of view, Reef Salon cannot be clearly classified as an organic building, however, the creation of spaces that can be organically integrated into the site is the core of the reef design concept.

Emerging from a point at the entrance, the space follows the logic of an underlying grid, bringing the guest a rich permeable spatial experience of the interior and exterior, and the organic atmosphere of the reef gives rise to a social feeling that is rooted in the site. Moreover, guests often spend the afternoon in the entrance cafe after their haircut, talking with friends or the owner.

Essentially, the concept is that barbering is no longer just the purpose of a hairdressing space but a choice of multiple behaviours.

This project has been longlisted in the leisure and wellness interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Designer: Say Architects

Project: Reef Salon